How to Find Elephant Arch in Arizona
Hidden within the rugged beauty of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains lies a remarkable natural wonder: Elephant Arch in Arizona. This unique rock formation, sculpted by the forces of nature actually does represent an elephant! For those seeking an off-the-beaten-path adventure and serenity of the backcountry, a journey to Elephant Arch is an unforgettable experience.
Where is the Elephant Arch in Arizona?
The Elephant Arch in Arizona is located in the Superstition Mountain Wilderness. The Superstition Mountains are so massive, you could never see everything it has to offer in a lifetime. This rock feature is located on the southern portion of the mountains. To get there, you’ll go on the US 60 East towards Globe, go past Gold Canyon and towards Queen Valley. From Central Phoenix, it is 1 hr and 15 minutes. Seems a bit long, but it’s worth it!
Driving to Elephant Arch
This part is IMPORTANT! Once you turn onto Queen Valley Road off the highway, you turn right on E Hewitt Station Rd. At this point, you’ll be on a dirt road. You’ll go 3 miles and then turn left onto Hewitt Canyon Rd for 4 miles until you stop. This road continues, but you stop at the base of Elephant Arch.
THIS IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL CARS. We have a 4runner and it did great without 4WD. You defiintely need high clearance. The road becomes really bumpy at times. You could drive up until your comfort park and hike the road if you’d like as well.
KEEP IN MIND: PHONE SERVICE IS LIMITED HERE
my tip: if your car has wifi (mine does!) sign up for that, if not, have a garmin in reach to communicate via satellite if needed!!
Parking For Elephant Arch
GOOGLE MAPS is the most accurate way to find Elephant Arch in Arizona. It’s not on AllTrails or Apple Maps. Even though the road is easy to follow, another way to know you’re close is when the canyon narrows. You’ll drive over a few washes and. through the canyon. Just shortly after that, you’ll round a corner and see the Elephant Arch UP TO YOUR LEFT.
Hiking Up to the Elephant Arch in Arizona
THE EASIEST WAY UP TO THE ELEPHANT ARCH IS UP THE WASH.
It’s about a 1/4 mile up to the arch and a hundred foot gain or so. Luckily you can see the arch easily the whole way up, so it’s hard to get lost. When you get closer to the base, note that it’s easier to go up TO THE RIGHT up to the arch.
Important: Things to Bring on Your Hike
One of the most important things when hiking in an area with a lack of phone service is SAFETY. You can either have A GARMIN IN REACH (it is pricey, but worth it, but allows you to follow a trail and use SOS if you need it, and text via satellite) OR use ALLTRAILS+ which allows you to LIVE SHARE your hike with someone so they know where you are! You can use my code “danielleoutdoors30” for 30% off (and it’s only $35 to start with per year!). I mentioned this trail isn’t on AllTrails, but you can CREATE a trail on AllTrails with your account, so I still use it even if the official trail isn’t on the app. also recommend A HIKING STICK for balance and STURDY SHOES (these for example- don’t bring normal gym sneakers). I suggest PANTS to due having to bush wack up to the Elephant Arch.
Do You Love Arizona?
I love exploring in Arizona so much. And I LOVE a good graphic tee- for at home, for hiking, or casual wear. So I decided to make a T-Shirt series featuring the beautiful outdoor landmarks in Arizona.
My Phoenix Landmark T-Shirt features things like The Superstition Mountains, and Camelback Mountain in Phoenix.
Rep your love for AZ on the trails!!
The Elephant Arch: Final Destination
When we hiked up via the drawing earlier, the easiest way was to come up UNDER the arch and through it. I love how the arch ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE AN ELEPHANT- do you see it?!
The arch is skinny especially on the lower end so I do not recommend walking on it. Plus it may be fragile, and if you fall it’s a long drop and you’re in the middle of nowhere- not a good idea. My husband did climb up on the right side on the elephant’s head in the photo above.
We just hung out here and relaxed for a while admiring nature and headed back down.
Photo Tips
If you want to take photos of it, just be aware different times of day will give you a different look. We went around 4pm in January so the sun was already behind the steep ridge and gave us some backlighting, which can be hard to shoot! Mid-day would actually give you great lighting on the elephant, suprisingly. I think sunrise would be beautiful out here too, you could get a photo with the sun just peeking over the mountains.
Summary of the Elephant Arch in Arizona
This is a beautiful secluded landmark that isn’t too hard to hike up to. You could definitely camp on the road coming in, too. If you’re into shooting, there is designated shooting ranges in this area too (way before the arch). With proper preparation, this adventure is a blast!!
Like Arches?
Try out the TRIPLE ARCH TRAIL in the Goldfield Mountains (near the Supes) or the GATEWAY ARCH (photo below) near the Salt River. We all love a good arch hike!! Happy hiking and always leave no trace please :).
